CDL-Vancouver launches Minerals stream for founders seeking to deliver scalable global solutions to enable the supply of minerals critical to our future

Creative Destruction Lab-Vancouver (CDL-Vancouver), based at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, has launched a Minerals stream for founders seeking to commercialize technologies enabling the supply of industrial and metallic minerals critical to society’s future.

With the global move toward electrification and net-zero infrastructure, innovation in the mineral exploration and mining industry has never been more crucial. The CDL-Vancouver Minerals stream will support ventures aiming to enhance performance, safety, and sustainability in the industry. This stream focuses on innovations that span the lifecycle of a mineral project, including ore body discovery and definition; mineral extraction and processing; and sustainability and post-mining activities, including water stewardship, waste to value, and tailings management.

CDL has seen several ventures in these spaces participate in previous cycles of the CDL program, generating impact in the mineral exploration and mining industry, including pH7 Technologies, Mangrove Lithium, Destiny Copper, and Ideon Technologies, (a spin-out from TRIUMF Innovations), Summit Nanotech, and GeologicAI, indicating the bigger opportunity to support the venture ecosystem across the global CDL network. 

“The Minerals stream reflects the increased focus on technology and innovation in mineral exploration and mining, with a view to unlocking efficiency and sustainability gains,” says Bree Stanlake, Director of CDL-Vancouver. “Given the emerging opportunities in areas such as autonomous mining solutions, as well as digital innovation applied to this industry, we are thrilled to be at the forefront in driving these new technologies forward.”

Mentors for CDL Minerals with experience in mineral exploration, mining, and venture building, such as CDL Fellow Haig Farris and CDL Associate and Sustaining Partner Peter Bradshaw (Founder of BRIMM), will support founders with objectives-based mentorship — and their deep industry expertise.

“The CDL Minerals initiative comes at an important time as the need for strategic metals will require powerful new technology at all stages of mining, from exploration to production to transportation and refining, to meet world requirements,” Farris says. “Canada is now at the take-off stage for developing and applying new mining-related opportunities. Having had long experience in mining exploration, I am excited about mentoring the next generation of mining entrepreneurs.”

British Columbia is a national and global hub for the industry. In addition to the province’s long history of mineral exploration and mining, B.C. is home to recently launched innovation initiatives including the Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (MMAP), a digital supercluster project with $16.6 million in funding to support the development of technology that will improve environmental practices across the mining lifecycle. UBC is home to the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM), a multidisciplinary education and research organization working to solve the most pressing challenges in the mining industry.

"BRIMM at UBC is excited to work with CDL on the minerals stream in partnership with some of the world’s biggest mining company's including BHP and Vale,” says BRIMM Director John Steen. “We look forward to working together to bring the next wave of mining technology ventures to commercial reality."

CDL-Vancouver is building a diverse partner group to complement the mentor bench with a view to include representation from mineral exploration and mining, venture capital, and industry service providers, to provide founders with a range of financing and go-to-market insights. Global mining companies Vale and BHP have joined CDL Minerals as corporate partners to enable the CDL Mineral Stream launch, as well as law firm Fasken.

“As founding partners of the CDL Minerals stream, BHP is beyond thrilled for the opportunity to convene the brightest creators of new technologies needed to uncover more critical minerals,” says Sonia Scarselli, VP Metals Exploration and Xplor, BHP. “Our partnership with CDL reflects BHP’s purpose in action, to bring people and resources together to build a better world. We supply critical minerals like copper and nickel, and as the world works towards decarbonization, innovative partnerships are a key lever to help generate more supply. Together, BHP Ventures and BHP Xplor are at the cutting edge of transformation within our industry and have created new growth opportunities for BHP through unique partnerships – their inclusion in this partnership couldn’t be more fitting. Collaboration is at the heart of both programs, and we value the opportunity to work together with CDL to accelerate technological innovation to power the energy transition.”

To kick off the launch of the Minerals stream, CDL-Vancouver will host an Innovation in Mining & Minerals Conference on October 25, 2023, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. If you are interested in attending, sponsoring, or being a media partner at this event, please register here to join the mailing list for updates.